Latkes and applesauce

From the backlog: Tuesday 3/24

The night before, I was hungry for some potatoy goodness, then discovered that the potatoes I had in my pantry had sprouted and gone soft. So I planned to make this potato pancake recipe from Smitten Kitchen, the next night. Inspired by her zucchini latke recipe, but not actually wanting to make it (what am I going to do with the rest of the box of matzo meal after I use 1/2 cup?), I added some shredded zucchini as well. I don't think it turned out quite as crisp as it was supposed to, but what do I know?

Also - homemade applesauce. Yum. There's some lemon juice and lemon peel, which you don't taste except for the brightness. I even bought a potato masher in order to finish this off, but the apples had already broken down so much that all I had to do was stir.

Eggs over Easy

From the backlog: Monday 3/23

I didn't pack a dinner to eat at class, so I was hungry for something quick when I got home. Two eggs-over-not-too-hard on a bed of sauteed garlicky spinach, served with toast. The yolks got a bit more cooked than I would prefer - there's a big difference between counting to 30, as I thought the recipe said, and counting to 10, as the recipe actually said. Oops.

Globalization soup

From the backlog: Sunday, 3/22

After a weekend full of socializing and tons of food, I wanted something simple yet tasty. I threw together this soup, and while I'm not quite sure what it is, but it turned out pretty well.

Saute 1 clove sliced garlic and a bit of diced ginger in olive oil. Add a little sesame oil. Add 2 cups water, 1 scant tsp chicken broth concentrate, and a bit of soy sauce; bring to a boil. Add 1/4 cup acini di pepe pasta, and cook per package instructions. At end of cooking time, stir in chopped spinach, sliced scallion, and cilantro.

For a thrown-together Asian-Italian concoction, it was quite satisfying!

Pasta with Tuna, Arugula, and Hot Pepper

From the backlog: Thursday, 3/19

I made Pasta with Tuna, Arugula, and Hot Pepper from Simply Recipes. It's amazingly simple - basically saute garlic in olive oil, add the tuna and flake it, sprinkle in some hot pepper flakes, then mix the tuna/garlic with the pasta, a bit of reserved pasta water, and the arugula to let the greens wilt. Ta da!

French Toast Redux

From the backlog: Thursday 3/19

I had some challah left over and decided to whip up some more French toast for a quick breakfast before work. You'll have to trust me that this isn't just another photo from the last time I made French toast. But since I am also my readership, that shouldn't be too hard.

Broccoli stir-fry

From the backlog: Wednesday 3/18

This meal used the Broccoli Stir Fry with Ginger and Sesame recipe from Simply Recipes as the foundation. I used a mix of broccoli, red pepper, and mushroom since I didn't have enough broccoli and I wanted some variety since I was adapting the recipe as a main course. I roughly halved the amount of vegetables, but kept the sauce ingredients so it wouldn't all boil away. I also added some scallions at the end. Served over brown rice for a one-dish meal.

Pan-Fried Chickpea Salad

From the backlog: Sunday 3/15

I tried this Pan-Fried Chickpea Salad from 101 Cookbooks, with a curry-yogurt dressing. It turned out pretty well, but when I ate the second helping that I had saved for the next day, the red onion and leek flavors had intensified a bit too much. Next time I might try soaking the red onion in water to reduce the pungency, and use a bit less onion. I think I would make it again, though.